Dichagyris forficula forficula ( Eversmann, 1851 )

Tang, Jin, Zhang, Gongaote, Guo, Junqi, Luo, Lingxuan, Jiang, Jiamei & Pan, Hongbo, 2023, Contributions To The Taxonomy And Biogeography Of The Genus Dichagyris (Subg. Dichagyris) Lederer, 1867 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae) Ii. The Review Of The D. Forficula Species Group, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 69 (3), pp. 265-301 : 274-275

Dichagyris forficula forficula ( Eversmann, 1851)

( Figs 1-4 , 41 )

Agrotis forficula Eversmann, 1851: 629 .

Type locality: “ Géorgie ” (“ Armenia ” on the original, hand-written label)

Dichagyris forficula devota ( Christoph, 1884) stat. n.

( Figs 13–16 , 47, 48 , 70 , 71 )

Agrotis devota Christoph, 1884 , in Romanoff, Mémoires sur les Lépidoptères 1: 116; Pl. 7, fig. 6. Type locality: mountains near Ashkhabad.

In contrast with the colourful habitus and opulence of individual variations in D. forficula hadjina , the populations of the mountains of Iranian Khorasan and Turkmenistan display a much more faded and monochromatic colouration which were described as Agrotis devota by Christoph (1884). Following the short diagnosis (in Latin), A. devota was compared with the closely related but slightly larger and more varied species D. renigera and differentiated from it by the more uniform, pale reddish-grey colouration. This species was also contrasted to Standfussiana defessa (Lederer, 1858) and clearly distinguished by the darker and dentate transverse lines. According to the description, only two females were captured. The original figure shows, however, based on the tip of the abdomen, a male specimen. Unfortunately, the home page of the ZIRAS does not contain any picture of these specimens (https:// www.zin.ru/ collections/Lepidoptera/catalogen.html?taxon_id).

We found, however, two male (!) specimens in that collection with the label “Askhabad” which may be identical, based on the score of the figure in the original description, with the specimens collected by Christoph, and one of them is designated here as Lectotype of the taxon Dichagyris forficula devota ( Christoph, 1884) stat. n. A third, original specimen from Christoph was discovered in the collection of the BMNH with the following labels: “Shah Kuh” (hand written, black ink), “ex coll. Christoph.” (printed), “Ex. coll. H. J. Elwes, 1920” (printed), “Joicey Bequest. Brit. Mus. 1934-120” (printed), “NHMUK01354240” (printed), “ 42 mm ” (printed), “devota /turana” (hand written, black ink). As this specimen does not belong to those which are mentioned in the original description, it cannot be considered as Paralectotype of the species. The series of specimens preserved in the same collection from Kara-Kala ( Turkmenistan) and published by KUZNETSOV (1960) as D. forficula turana can also be associated to this taxon.

The genital structures of D. forficula devota ( Figs 47–48 , 70–71 ) essentially agree with those of D. forficula forficula . However, the genital capsule seem to be slightly graciler and the thin cornutus is on average slightly shorter. The wing expanse has the same variation as in the case of D. forficula forficula (34–42 mm vs 33–41 mm).

III. DICHAGYRIS FORFICULA IN THE NE CAUCASUS RANGE with description of a new subspecies

Figures

Figs 1–8.Dichagyris forficula sspp. 1–4 = D. forficula forficula (Eversmann, 1851): 1 = holotype, male, Armenia; 2 = male, Turkey, Prov Agri; 3–4 = females, Turkey, Prov Agri; 5–8 = D.

Figs 41–43. Male genitalia ofDichagyris forficula sspp. 41 =D. forficula (Eversmann, 1851), NE Turkey, Prov. Van, slide No.: VZ10245m. 42 = D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratype, Russia, North Caucasus, Ingoushetia, slide No.: VZ9771m. 43 = D. forficula hadjina (Staudinger, 1892), Turkey, lectotype of Agrotis hadjina var.zeituna Staudinger, 1899, slide No.: VZ9548m

Figs 9–16. Dichagyris forficula sspp. 9–12 = D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratypes, Russia, Chechnya, Furtoug: 9–10 = male; 11–12 = females. 13–16 = D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884): 13 = male, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, 14 = female, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, 15 = male, Iran, Shah Kuh, 16 = female, paratype of Agrotis devota eremica Amsel, 1935, Palestine

Figs 47–49. Male genitalia of Dichagyris forficula sspp. 47–48 = D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884): 47 = Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, slide No.: VZ9961m; 48 = Iran, Prov. Khorassan, slide No.: VZ11518m. 49 = D. forficula pseudoturana ssp. n., paratype, Afghanistan, Paghman Mts, slide No.: VZ10134m

Figs 68–70. Genitalia of Dichagyris spp. 68 = Male genitalia of D. erubescens (Staudinger, 1892), Turkey, Prov. Malatya, slide No.: VZ11515m. 69 = Female genitalia of D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratype, Russia, North Caucasus, Ingoushetia, slide No.: VZ6753f. 70 = female genitalia of D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884), Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, slide No.: VZ11483f

Figs 71–73. Female genitalia of Dichagyris forficula sspp. 71 = D. forficula devota (Christoph,